Means for locking a gate to a gatepost



April 26, 1955 J. w. RITTER, sR 2,707,125

MEANS FOR LOCKING A GATE TO A GATEPOST Filed July 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheetl f E I 5 4.1 I yes S 3|5 u f I I g I 35 49 $15 1 P ass: i

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April 26, 1955 J. w. RITTER, SR

MEANS FOR LOCKING A GATE TO A GATEPOST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 9,1953 John William Eff/er, 5'1:

INVENTOR.

9 BY all United States Patent MEANS FOR LOCKING A GATE TO A GATEPOSTJohn William Ritter, Sn, Escobas, Tex.

Application July 9, 1953, Serial No. 367,041

7 Claims. (Cl. 292-341. 15)

My invention relates to improvements in means for locking a horizontallyswinging gate to a gatepost.

The primary object of my invention is to. provide a gate and a gatepostwith means for locking the gate to the post adapted to be unlocked byany one of a limited number of persons possessing different keys andauthorized to use the gate.

Another object is to provide locking means for the purpose above setforth adapted to be locked and unlocked by any one of a number ofpadlocks each requiring a different key.

Still another object is to provide locking means of the type and for thepurpose above set forth which is simple in construction, strong anddurable and inexpensive to manufacture and install.

Other and subordinate objects together with the pre cise nature of myimprovements will become apparent when the succeeding description andclaims are read with reference to the drawings accompanying and formingpart of this specification.

In said drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary view in front elevation of a gate and gatepostembodying my improved locking means in the preferred form thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view in vertical section of the gateand gatepost and illustrating the locking means in locking position;

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the locking means in unlockingposition;

Figure 4 is an enlarged view in horizontal section taken on the line 44of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged view in plan of the crown plate for thegatepost;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view in perspective of the plunger and lockingrod;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical sectionillustrating the locking means on the gate in unlocking position, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged view partly in vertical section andpartly in elevation of a modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings by numerals and first to the preferredembodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5, the gate 1 according to my inventionis provided with locking means comprising a horizontally slidable lockbolt 3 in a front upright frame part 5 of the gate adapted to beprojected and retracted forwardly and rearwardly into locking andunlocking positions by operation of a hand lever 7 pivoted, as at 9, inupright position on a horizontal frame part 11 of the gate andoperatively connected to the lock bolt 3 by a pivoted link 13. The bolt3 is provided with a front end slot 4.

The gatepost 15 according to my invention is tubular and formed ofsuitable metal and is closed at its upper end by a circular crown plate17 of double thicknesses of metal set into and resting on said post andsuitably secured in place as by welding, not shown.

The locking means on the gatepost 15 comprises a horizontal, hollowkeeper 19 in the post on one side of said post having a vertical opening21 therethrough and into which the front end of said bolt 3 is slid tovertically align the slot 4 of said bolt 3 with the vertical opening 21,when said bolt is projected into locking position.

A locking rod 23 in the post is carried in upright depending position invertical alignment with the opening 21 by a plunger 25 adapted todescend by gravity iii) ice

to thrust said rod downwardly through the opening 21 and slot 4 to lockthe lock bolt 3 in forwardly projected locking position. The plunger 25is adapted to be moved upwardly to retract the locking rod out of theslot 4 to free the lock bolt 3 for retraction into unlocking position. Aguide lug 27 for the locking rod 23' inside and on the post 15 and abovethe keeper 15 prevents rotation of the plunger 25 for a purposepresently seen and holds said rod 23 vertically aligned. with theopening 21 when said rod is retracted.

The plunger 25 comprises a pair of upper and lower disks 33, 35connected together by an axial tube 37 and the locking rod 23 suitablywelded thereto, as at 39, 41, and the tube 37 is vertically slidable ona fixed axial shaft 42 rising out of the post 15. The shaft 42 is fixedat its lower end to a horizontal disk suitably fixed in the post 15below the keeper 19.

Means for moving the plunger 25 upwardly to retract the locking rod 23into unlocking position is provided comprising a plurality of verticalplunger lift rods 43 rising out of the post 15 and grouped in a circularconcentric series around the axis of said post and the plunger 25 inequidistantly spaced relation. The lift rods 43 are slidable verticallyand rotatable in apertures 45 in the crown plate 17, and the plunger 25is vertically slidable on the lift rods 43 which extend 'tigloglghapertures 47, 45, in the upper and lower disks 3 Lift rods 43 areprovided with right angled handle portions 51 for lifting and loweringthe same and Which terminate in depending upright ring members 52 weldedas at 53 thereon. Ring members 54 are spaced circumferentially aroundthe top of the post 15 and suitably secured thereto in upright positionas by welding 55. The ring members 54 are associated with the ringmembers 53 the arrangement being such that when the lift rods 43 arefully lowered the handle portions 51 may be rotated into substantiallyradial position relative to the post 15 to swing the ring members 52against and in axial alignment with the associated ring members 54 fixedon the post 15.

Padlocks 56 requiring different keys are provided for locking the ringmembers 52 to associated ring members 54 and form therewith means forlocking said rods down in fully lowered position in which collars 57 onthe lower ends of the lift rods seat the plunger 25 thereon in loweredposition with the locking rod 23 in locking position. The collars 57together with said rods 43 provide manual means for lifting the plunger25 up wardly by upward sliding of any one of the lift rods 43dwith theplunger sliding upwardly on the other lift ro s.

A metal canopy 58 is provided on the upper end of the shaft 42 toprevent water, snow and ice from accumulating on the crown plate and thedescribed lift rod locking means.

In the modified embodiment shown in Figure 8 the lock bolt 59corresponding to lock bolt 3 is secured to the gatepost 60 by a chain 61adapted to be passed around the end upright 62 of the gate 63 and saidbolt 59 is adapted to be manually projected into the keeper 64. Theconstruction is otherwise the same as in the preferred embodiment.

The operation of my invention will be readily understood. Any lift rod43 may be unlocked by unlocking and removing the padlock 56 forming partof the locking means for that lift rod and the unlocked lift rod liftedby the handle portion 51 to lift the plunger 25 and thereby retract thelocking rod 23 out of the slot 4 in the locking bolt 3 so that the liftbolt 3 may be retracted out of the keeper 21 to unlock the gate as shownin Figure 3. The remaining lift rods 43 may remain locked and theplunger 25 will slide freely up the same. With the gate 1 closed and thelock bolt 3 projected into the keeper 21 the lifted plunger willgravitate into lowered position on the locked lift rods 43 when thelifted unlocked lift rod 43 is released so that the locking rod 23 willbe projected or lowered into locking position for coaction with the bolt3 to lock the gate 1 as shown in Figure 2. The released lift rod 43 willalso gravitate into lowered position for lock- Patented Apr. 26, 1955-ing in the manner described.

As will be seen a number of persons corresponding to the number of liftrods 43 may lock and unlock the gate each with a key for a dilferentpadlock 56 which one person only is authorized to unlock by possessionof the proper key.

The foregoing will suflice to impart a clear understanding of myinvention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention as described is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept and right is hereinreserved to modifications falling within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a latching mechanism for a gate latch, the latching mechanismadapted to be mounted in a hollow gatepost having a gate latch slidebolt projecting into the same, said latching mechanism comprising, avertically movable member slidable in said post for lifting andlowering, said bolt and member coacting when the member is lowered tolock said bolt, said member being liftable upwardly into bolt unlockingposition, and means for lifting said member comprising a plurality oflift rods slidable in said post for lifting upwardly and grouped aroundthe axis of the post in a circular series, and individual locking meansfor locking each lift rod to the post each unlocked by a different key.

2. In a latching mechanism according to claim 1, said member comprisinga locking rod.

3. In a latching mechanism according to claim 2, said V slide bolt beingapertured for projection of said locking rod therethrough for coactionof said bolt and member to lock said bolt.

4. In a latching mechanism according to claim 1, said means furthercomprising a plunger in said post carrying said member, and to whichsaid lift rods are operatively connected to each lift the plungerindependently of the other lift rods.

5. In a latching mechanism according to claim 1, said individual lockingmeans each comprising a ring member on the rod and a ring member on thepost and a padlock for securing said ring members together.

6. In a latching mechanism according to claim 4, and a vertical shaft insaid post on which said plunger is slidably mounted.

7. In a latching mechanism according to claim 4, said lift rods slidablyextending through said plunger and having collars thereon beneath saidplunger for lifting of said plunger by each lift rod independently ofthe other lift rods.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,364,757 Herrman Jan. 4, 1921 2,538,398 Thompson et a1. Jan. 16, 19512,556,361 Coleman June 12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 95,958 SwitzerlandAug. 16, 1922

